Friday, February 16, 2018

It looks like “loyal” Nexus owners aren’t the only ones getting a discount on a new Pixel phone today.

Best Buy is now offering $400 off the Pixel 2 XL in the form of $300 in bill credits and $100 instant savings. To get this deal, you need to buy a Pixel 2 XL and activate it on Verizon with monthly installment payments.

This discount applies to both the Just Black and Black & White versions of the Pixel 2 XL, as well as both the 64GB and 128GB capacities. After the discount is applied, the 64GB Pixel 2 XL will cost $18.74 per month, while the 128GB Pixel 2 XL will cost $22.91 per month.

This deal is only available today, February 16, so you’ll need to act fast if you want to take advantage of it.

The Pixel 2 XL is a fantastic device, offering high-end specs, a large screen with small(ish) bezels, and software updates that come directly from Google. If you’re in the market for a new phone on Verizon, this deal is definitely one to consider.

But that’s not the company’s next big thing, or even a flagship handset for 2018. That’s still coming down the pipe, but VentureBeat has some new details on the upcoming handset. The Life’s Good crew has codenamed its next flagship device “Judy”, and it will reportedly launch in June with an all-new design.

LG’s Judy will reported have a 6.1-inch display which will support HDR10 High Dynamic Range and have an 18:9 aspect ratio. It will also be designed with LG’s “Full Vision” minimal bezel design.

That display is one of the key elements of the upcoming handset, as the report says that LG will be utilizing a MLCD+ design. It boasts a RGBW matrix, which includes a white sub-pixel. As a result, it can reach up to 800-nit of brightness while using up to 35 percent less energy.

Around back, the report points to the Judy offering a pair of 16-megapixel cameras, both of which will feature a f/1.6 aperture. Those aforementioned AI camera features are set to be on board, too.

The Judy is also expected to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of built-in storage, stereo speakers, and an IP68-rating for water and dust resistance.

Essential is one of the Android manufacturers out there that opts to offer a stock experience, which means Google Assistant is baked in right out of the box. But if you prefer Amazon’s Alexa assistant, then Essential has an option for you now, too.

Today Essential announced that it is launching a “Halo Gray” color variant of the Essential Phone that will feature Amazon’s Alexa built-in. The company also confirmed that the handset is available to pre-order from Amazon (I know, you’re shocked) beginning today.

The Halo Gray Essential Phone with Alexa built-in goes on sale beginning Wednesday, February 21. As far as features go, it has all the same bullet points as the standard Essential Phone: 5.7-inch Quad HD display with minimized bezels, 13MP dual rear cameras, and 128GB of built-in storage.

Verizon is tweaking its prepaid options a bit, starting with launching one new plan and dropping the price of another.

Today Verizon has announced that it is introducing a new prepaid option that will be priced at $30 per month. Customers will get unlimited talk and text and 500MB of data. Mobile hotspot is supported in this new entry-level plan, too, and as long as you pay your bill on time, you’ll get Carryover Data as well.

If unlimited data is more your speed, then there’s good news for you, too. Verizon also announced that it is dropping the price of its Unlimited Prepaid plan beginning next week. Right now it’s priced at $80 per month, but when the price change kicks in, customers will only have to pay $75 per month. Verizon is also including mobile hotspot, but it’s capped at 3G speeds.

Last but not least, prepaid customers can now get access to the Verizon Travel Pass, which means they will be able to call, text, and use their data while visiting Canada or Mexico. You will need to fork over $5 per day to use Travel Pass.

Welcome back to our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most frequently upgraded apps for the week. We’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to find the ones that are actually being updated by the developers rather than selecting the apps with the most installs. As in the past, we’re going to filter out minor updates for the super-popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but we’ll make exceptions for apps that have had significant updates. We hope you enjoy this weekly feature and that you discover some apps that end up being useful.

Hulu - Version 3.20.1

What’s new in this version:

Now you can scrub through a video not only directly on the timeline but by doing a long press anywhere on the screen.

There was some random crashing going on when you accessed My Stuff. We made sure you could get to your favorite shows and movies without having to curse a little bit every time.

Shazam – Version 8.3.1

What’s new in this version:

Your Shazams have a new look!

Once you’ve named that tune, you’ll see a brand new song page with…
- No more clutter! Just a big, beautiful photo of the artist you’ve Shazamed. Looking for the artwork? Tap the artist’s pic for more info about the song.
- A new menu, meaning you can get to the lyrics, videos & artist updates in one tap.

Beginning late last night, some Nexus owners received an email letting them know they had been chosen to pick up a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL with a noteworthy discount applied.

As reported recently by Droid-Life, Google began sending out emails to some “loyal” Nexus owners to let them know that they had been chosen to receive a 20% discount on the purchase price of a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL. That means you can get the Pixel 2 for just $520 and the Pixel 2 XL for $680.

There’s no specific mention in the email why the Nexus customers were chosen or what qualifies a customer for the discount. However, the safe bet seems to be if you picked up a Nexus 5X or a Nexus 6P from the Google Store, you’ll get this discount.

It is also worth noting that this isn’t a coupon code that can be used by anyone. The only way to get access to the 20% discount is through the “Shop Now” option included with the email.

Did you get this email from Google? If so, will you be picking up a new Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL?

Welcome back to Android Gaming Weekly, our weekly recap of new game releases. We still plan to cover upcoming releases and games we’re playing, but this column is dedicated to new games that you can start playing right now. Check out our top picks and let us know in the comments section if you have any suggestions for next week’s post.

Bluebird of Happiness

Description: Your brother finds a stuffed bluebird while the two of you visit a festival. Later that night you have a dream that takes place inside of a strange forest with a man having the head of a bird. Try to escape the dream by collecting items and solving puzzles.

Vainglory 5V5

Description: Super Evil Megacorp’s Vainglory 5V5 is the only “no-compromises” MOBA on mobile, providing to players superior gameplay and strategic depth, the most accurate and responsive controls and the best graphics and highest frame rates on mobile.

HeliHopper

Description: HeliHopper is a fun helicopter game where you hop from a helipad to another. Master the helicopter controls and become a master pilot! Pilot your way across the beautiful and colourful world, complete the missions or try your skills in the endless levels. Start hopping now!

HERETIC GODS – Ragnarök

Description:Heretic Gods – Ragnarok is an ARPG in which players can enter a dark world, full of dungeons and monsters, set in the land of the Viking Myths. Your objective will be to enter the depths of a cursed abbey to banish the heretical gods.

Super Crossbar Challenge

Description: Super Crossbar Challenge is the best new arcade sports game that is originated from the popular challenge among footballers and fans alike. The idea is for you to hit the crossbar – Sounds easy?

Soccer Revolution 2018

Description:Soccer Revolution 2018 is an exciting 3D mobile soccer game in partnership with FIFPro, created for soccer fans across the world. With realistic gameplay and action recorded by real players, you will be front and center of each exhilarating match.

FINAL FANTASY XV POCKET EDITION

Escape Game Save The Mermaid Couple

Description:Escape Game Save The Mermaid Couple is another new point and click live escape game from.In this game, you came under the sea to do some research. But unfortunately, you are noticed that someone trapped the Mermaid Couple in a cage. You have to find the way to rescue them by finding useful objects, hints and solving puzzle. Click on the objects to interact with them and solve puzzles.

FLO Game

Description: Challenge your Facebook friends in FLO as you traverse along an infinite horizon, rolling your ball up and down hills in an exciting, infinite, fast paced runner. Use simple one touch tap gameplay to easily control your ball as you increase your speed by rolling down hills. Achieve your personal bests in FLO, and challenge your friends to take part!

Fit or Hit

Description: Fit or Hit is a very challenging game where you pass through walls by fitting the blocks in the right hole. You can choose between two game modes : Campaign – Multiple levels ranging from easy to hardcore. Each level new game mechanics are introduced. Arcade – See how far you can go with four different game mechanics. You can switch, rotate or play with two different blocks at the same time.